Electric Night
by KuroKumo89
Summary: Narrated by Zuko. This is a Zutara request. The story takes place after the end of the series. Zuko and Katara get caught out in a storm and seek shelter in a nearby cave.


Author's Note: This an art request for a friend of mine in my Algebra class. I hope this is good. If you have an suggestions please share them.

The dim light made the cold stone walls seem almost warm. I stared into the fire, concentrating on the varying shades of if yellow, golden, and sapphire blue. I ran my hand through the lapping flames, feeling the heat they gave off. Every once in a while Katara's shadow passed in front of the fire.

"Katara?" I asked my eyes not moving from the flame.

"What does it look like? I'm pacing." She replied shortly.

"Why are you so nervous?" I inquired looking up at her.

Her cheeks were dusted with a thin blush that darkened when her eyes met mine. I suppressed a smirk. My male pride was getting at me.

"Wh-who said I was nervous?" She stammered.

"Your behavior." I pointed out bluntly.

"Shut up Zuko! This is your fault anyway!" She exclaimed.

"Well I'm sorry! You didn't have to follow me you know!"

"What was I supposed to do? You could have been killed!"

"It's just as storm Katara. I would have been fine. Why would you care anyway?" I mused poking the firewood with my index finger. It made a popping sound that echoed through the cave.

"Zuko…" She trailed off hugging herself and rubbing her arms. I patted the ground next to me as a gesture of good will. "What?" I asked quietly.

"I would have cared…Zuko." She said.

I made the fire burn brighter so it spread the warmth father around us.

"Why? You don't trust me at all." I said. It was true she was always second guessing me and everything I did. She thought I always had ulterior motives.

"Well…I don't really…"

"What?" I stared deeper into the fire will my anger to calm. I just wanted the answers to the questions that had been burning in my head since I had begun to recognize the tumult that filled me when I was around her. I was sure it would be my down fall.

"Never mind." She murmured.

"How's Aang?" I asked with a bit more malice than I intended and a reflexive cringe. I needed to change the subject though and still get my questions answered. Her feelings for Aang were the most important thing on my list of things to find out.

"He's fine…I guess but Zuko…"

"What?" I snapped my throat tightening.

"Thank you." She said looking me straight in the eyes with an intensity that took me completely off guard. Her eyes sparkled like crystal pools of the clearest ocean water.

"F-for what?" I asked feeling my heart rate jump.

"For saving me." She replied looking down.

"It's me who should be thanking you for saving me." I said going out on a limb, reaching out and putting my hand over hers. She looked up at me, shocked.

"Zuko." She trailed off. Then I remember that sunset kiss she had shared with Aang and jerked my hand away. The fire roared as if sensing this inner conflict of affection for Katara and rage toward Aang. I hated that boy. I should have done away with him when I had the chance. But then I would never have had the chance to befriend Katara. Was he a blessing in disguise? I would have only known her as Aang's sad girlfriend. The fire died with my emotions leaving us cloaked in total darkness. A flash of lightning illuminated Katara's worried face.

"Zuko are you okay?" She asked.

"Fine." I replied shortly, not wanting to reveal too much of my emotions.

"Zuko stop lying to me!" She shouted pushing me. I fell against the rough bumpy surface of the cave wall. A rock dug into my back and a grunt escaped my lips. I was taken aback by this sudden burst of anger. There was a thundering crash from the inclement weather outside.

Her features were illuminated in harsh contrast a second later by a flash of lightning. She was glaring down at me with the most malice I had seen in a while. The strange thing was that she also had tears running down her cheeks. Was that anger masking hurt? But what had I done?

"I'm tired of the lies and deceit!" She cried.

I stared into the darkness, the image of her face a glow with anger and electricity was burned into my eyes.

"Just tell me the truth!"

"Fine." I yelled back at her hot angry passion building in my chest. "You want the truth?" Fear now slowly chased out the anger and clenched tight in a knot at the pit of my stomach. I didn't really want to tell her how I felt.

"Zuko! I don't know if I can trust you." She whispered, her voice tapering from anger to sadness. "I want to trust you, I really do but I feel like there's something you're hiding. I don't want you to hurt us."

"Us?" I asked hearing the attitude in my voice. It was a little too thick but I was lending myself to my emotions it was only understandable.

"Aang, m-"

"Aang?" I choked cutting her off. "You talk about him all the time! He's just a brat! What's so special about him?" I exclaimed unable to control my rancor for that boy and the sudden rage his name brought me.

"Zuko…he's the avatar." She murmured.

"So what? He's all broken now so you want to fix him? You love him?"

I could feel her eyes boring into me even through the darkness.

"What? No I don't why would you think that?"

"You always talk about him. Aang this, Aang that." I spat. Another flash of lightning revealed apprehension in her clear blue eyes.

"Because I don't want you to know what I'm really thinking." she whispered.

"What are you really thinking?" I asked gaining back some lost boldness as I stood and walked toward her. I stopped so close to her that I could feel her breath roll off her lips and caress my jaw.

"Umm…" She stammered surprised by the sudden closeness. "Zuko…What…..are…you….doing?"

"Just trying to understand what you are thinking." I murmured bringing my hand up to her cup her face. As another flash of lightning lit up the cave. Her eyes sparkled in the brief light.

"I'm thinking of you." She whispered bringing her hand up to rest on mine.

"Why me?"

"You know why, because you make me so angry." She said with a hint of sarcasm.

"Some say that love and hate are practically the same. So if that's true then you love me." I smirked leaning closer to her so our noses were nearly touching.

"And if I do?" She argued back, her angry defensive tone hung in the air around us.

"Then I should say that I love you too." I murmured and before she could respond I pressed my lips to hers.

A the exact moment our lips touched a brilliant flash of lightning lit up the sky and the cave. I could feel the electricity in the air and vibrating through the rocks and my own body as well. Our lips were like puzzle pieces that struggled to fit together at first but once they locked together, they were a perfect fit.

In life there are rarely surreal dream like moments that come back to a clear memory. This was on of those moments. The air danced with cool moisture and heated tension, the true essence of out personalities. The heat clashed with the cool breeze and they fought each other but in the end they need each other.

I held her in my arms, close to me. So close I could feel her heart beating against mine. Her lips were cool and soft. Everything about that moment was perfect in a strange broken way. We are forever injured as children of war would be, scarred and broken bur we hold each other together.

Love is not a large part of my life. I want to gain respect and most of all I want her to respect me. That electrifying moment defined how we interact with each other. Great passion took root in out hearts and sailed though our lips.

We pulled apart reluctantly and cast our gaze to the mouth of the cave.

"The storm is over." She whispered, resting her head on my shoulder.

"So it is." I mused "So it is."


End file.
